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Fiji is a year-round tropical destination, known for its beaches, diving, and hiking.

Fiji Beach Resort and Spa Managed by Hilton
Fiji Beach Resort and Spa Managed by Hilton

Fiji Airways (formerly Air Pacific) flies from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Honolulu to Fiji. You can book Fiji Airways award space with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines miles.

American Airlines charges:

  • 40,000 miles each way between the United States and Fiji in economy class
  • 80,000 miles each way between the United States and Fiji in Business Class

Alaska Airlines charges:

  • 37,500 miles each way between Hawaii and Fiji in economy
  • 45,000 miles each way between Hawaii and Fiji in Business
  • 40,000 miles each way between the continental United States and Fiji in economy
  • 55,000 miles each way between the continental United States and Fiji in Business

You can book a simple roundtrip to Fiji with miles. Or you can combine your trip to Fiji with Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or anywhere else in Asia for only a few more miles

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The Basics: Searching and Booking Fiji Airways

The Product

Fiji Airways business class on its A330 which flies the 11+ hour flight from Los Angeles and San Francisco features angled lie flat seats.

Screen Shot 2014-10-31 at 7.59.00 PM Screen Shot 2014-10-31 at 7.59.09 PM

The flight from Honolulu is only about 6.5 hours, so it is generally a pretty terrible value for such a high price. It also features recliners in Business Class.

When to Go

Temperature is basically constant, but rainfall varies dramatically in Fiji. I’d avoid January through March to avoid the rainy season.

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Source: http://travel.usnews.com/Fiji/When_To_Visit/

High season is July to September according to multiple sources. The shoulder seasons are the months around that like May, June, October, and November. Since the shoulder season has the same weather, smaller crowds, and lower prices, it seems like the ideal time to go.

Searching Fiji Airways Award Space

You can search for Fiji Airways award space on alaskaair.com. Any Fiji Airways award space that appears on alaskaair.com is bookable with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines miles.

On alaskaair.com, just search Los Angeles or San Francisco to Fiji. Do not start the search from your home airport. We’ll find that award space later. Check “Use miles.”

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On the search results, along the left side, view by “Calendar” to see a month of results at one time. You can also select to see a calendar of economy or Business Class award space right under the “View by” box.

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Here are the economy award calendars for two passengers from Los Angeles to Fiji for the next 11 months. Economy award space for two people (days that say 40k) is non-existent between December 10 and December 29 and between June 11 and July 31, but it is pretty excellent otherwise.

By contrast, there are only a smattering of days with two Business Class award flights, all of which are between April and October.

If using Alaska miles, you can book right on alaskaair.com. If using American Airlines miles, note the date, cabin, and flight number of the award space you find, then call American Airlines at 800-882-8880. American Airlines will not charge a phone booking fee, since Fiji Airways space cannot be booked on aa.com.

Award space on the return to Los Angeles is similar.

You Don’t Live in Los Angeles

If you don’t live in Los Angeles and are booking with American Airlines miles, before calling in, find MileSAAver award space on aa.com flying American Airlines or Alaska Airlines that connects well with the Fiji Airways space. This will add zero miles to the prices quoted above. See:

If you are using Alaska miles, you can only add Alaska Airlines Saver award space. It also will add zero miles to the price of the award.

Taxes, Fees, Fuel Surcharges

The taxes on a roundtrip to Fiji are $128 per person. Alaska Airlines will also impose a $25 partner award booking fee. There is no way around this fee.

There are no other fees and no fuel surcharges on these awards.

Advanced: Add Another Destination

Free Stopover on Alaska Awards in Fiji en route to Australia or New Zealand

Alaska charges the same price from the continental United States all the way to Australia or New Zealand on Fiji Airways as it does just to Fiji. And it allows a free stopover on one way awards.

Combine those facts to book some pretty fantastic awards like your home airport to Fiji to Australia or New Zealand for only 40,000 total miles.

Screen Shot 2016-03-01 at 3.05.25 AMBoth those itineraries feature a four-day stopover in Fiji.

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Your options in Australia are Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney. Your options in New Zealand are Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington.

Can you do something similar with American Airlines miles? No, American Airlines awards cannot have any layovers longer than 24 hours.

More information on free stopovers on Alaska Airlines awards.

 

Bottom Line

There is plenty of award space between San Francisco or Los Angeles and Fiji on Fiji Airways that you can book with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines miles from your home airport to Fiji.

Jazz up your trip by booking an Alaska award to Australia or New Zealand with a free stopover in Fiji.

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